Help our STOP falls program

Help our STOP falls program

In our ageing society, falls are a big problem. Read more about what Steven van Andel’s PhD research at ACU Brisbane’s Exercise Science department is doing to develop a new approach to falls prevention.

In our ageing society, falls are a big problem. Steven van Andel’s PhD research at ACU Brisbane’s Exercise Science department is developing a new approach to falls prevention.

ACU has one of the first research teams in the world combining knowledge from motor control, psychology and exercise science and using it to get a better insight into why older adults fall. These new insights could lead to better falls prevention programs and improvement of quality of life for older communities.

Steven van Andel is a PhD student at ACU, who is conducting the STOP Falls program. One year ago, he moved from his home country (the Netherlands) to Australia, specifically to be involved in this research project. “It is very inspiring to work in a project that actually tries to help the community and to do so in a supportive environment as ACU makes it a fantastic experience” Steven said.

One in three people aged 65 and over experience a fall at least once each year. This often causes injuries and an overall decrease in quality of life. "Considering the growing numbers of older adults globally, we need to find a way to prevent falls from happening" Steven said. The STOP Falls (Study Towards Opportunities for Prevention of Falls) program aims to take a first step in that direction.

The STOP Falls study has the ambitious goal to get 100 adults aged 60+ to visit the ACU Brisbane Campus for an assessment. The research team could really use the help of the ACU community to achieve this. If you are 60+ and are willing to participate in this study or know anyone who is, please contact Steven by email for more information (Steven.vanAndel@acu.edu.au).